3 Steps to Make Sure Your Visa Gets Approved

What are the steps you need to take to make sure your visa gets approved?

1. Complete the basic requirements
2. Prepare evidence of your income tax return
3. Convince the embassy you will not be overstaying

Getting a tourist visa is quite a grueling affair. It is an experience that may not end on a happy note. In fact, there have been stories of people’s visa applications getting rejected even after many tries.

Visa applications are difficult because there are certain steps you need to do. For one, you need to show you have money to spend. As a working adult, this means showing you have the capability to support yourself. You can provide proof of this through documents presenting your tax computations in the Philippines. Aside from this, you will have to provide other paperwork requirements.

This means that you need to put in a lot of time and effort to get your tourist visa. As much as possible, you want to have it approved so you can finally go to your dream vacation. To achieve this, you must follow these steps:

Complete the basic requirements

Before you submit your tourist visa application, you need to make sure you have the complete basic requirements. These include:

• A valid passport
• Handwritten visa application form (you can download this on the embassy website of the country you are planning to visit)
• Receipt for the payment of your visa application fee
• 1 (2×2) passport photo with white background
• Valid ID

For countries like the U.S. that have a visa interview, you will need to bring these additional requirements:

• Interview appointment letter from embassy (confirming your schedule)
• 2 (2×2) passport photos
• Medical test results
• Civil documents (ex. birth certificate, police record, etc.)

Prepare evidence of your income tax return

Your income tax return is another thing you must prepare for your visa application. It will serve as proof that you have a stable source of income to fund your vacation expenses.

To get your income tax computation in the Philippines, you must have a registered TIN. For employed professionals under a corporation, the employer would do the registration themselves so no need to worry about this.

For freelancers and self-employed individuals, you should be able to register your TIN by completing the BIR Form 1901 (Application for Registration for Self-Employed and Mixed Income Individuals, Estates/Trusts). You may then submit it to a Revenue District Office with the other supporting documents.

Once the RDO approved your application, you will be able to pay your ITR. However, the embassy will likely ask for proof that you paid your ITR last year. This means that, if you just registered recently, you will have to wait for a year before you can apply for a visa.

File your income tax computation in the Philippines digitally to avoid long lines at the RDO.  You can opt for a DIY tax platform that allows freelancers, small business owners, and self-employed individuals to file their taxes online.  Or better yet,  get a BIR-recognized tax software provider service such as Taxumo ,  which does all your tax requirements preparation for you. Just input all the data needed, click a button and file away.

They can even match you with a partner CPA, too, that can even do the other “manual” things for you such as business registration renewal and preparing your Audited Financial Statements. By doing so, you can be more sure of being able to secure an ITR or other relevant tax documents that would surely serve you in your visa application.

Retirees and students don’t have to go through this process. However, they do need to submit their own set of requirements.

Convince the embassy you will not be overstaying

To get your visa application approved, you must convince the embassy that you do not plan to overstay after your trip is over. They will need some reassurance from your part. Check your status below and submit the necessary documentation:

Employed

• Employer written leave of absence
• Proof of employment from your company
• Proof of most recent ITR payment
• Bank statement
• Credit card statement, if you have one

Self-Employed

• Letter discussing a business-related reason that will require your return
• Copy of official registration of business
• Proof of ITR and other business-related tax computations in the Philippines (ex. excise tax or value-added tax)
• Proof of most recent ITR payment
• Bank statement
• Credit card statement, if you have one

Unemployed

• Letter showing your reasons why you will not overstay
• Show proof of job offer, if you have a job waiting for you
• Show proof of enrollments, if you plan to study again

Minors

• Letter from your parent or legal guardian showing you won’t overstay
• Documents proving that your parent or legal guardian can shoulder the costs of your travel (bank statements, properties, credit card statements, etc.)
• Proof of school enrollment
• School authorized absence, if needed

Retired

• Letter showing why you won’t overstay
• Bank statements
• Proof or real estate property

Key Takeaway

Getting a tourist visa is difficult especially since there is no assurance your application will get approved. You will need to submit all the required documentation, which will definitely take some time. But if done right, your visa application should get approved and you can finally go on to your dream vacation!

Need help with your ITR?

Try Taxumo Today!